Blueberry Limeade

I love a nice limeade, even though it's winter and windy out. The sun is shining bright and the snow has melted to little patches and the promise of spring arriving before we know it is in the air and there is reason to celebrate. Join me with a blueberry limeade! It's oh-so tart and just perfect to celebrate the sun, the melting snow and a few weeks of winter left. Enjoy!

• 1 cup blueberry juice
• 1 cup cooled mint tea
• juice of 1-2 limes

Combine all of the ingredients, starting with one lime and working your way up to your liking. Add in stevia to sweeten it to your liking. Serves 1.

Grapefruit - Thyme Juice

This juice is so refreshing, I couldn't even wait to take the picture before I took a few sips, lol. First, you get the tartness of the grapefruit on your taste buds and it ends with a hint of clean, yet slightly woodsy thyme. With the abundance of citrus fruits this time of year, I've been drinking a lot of orange, tangerine and grapefruit juices, in all different combinations. My favorite being my evening tonic, the juice of two oranges and a half a lemon, it's oh-so-tart and delicious! Happy juicing! Enjoy!

• 2 small ruby red grapefruits, juiced
• 3 oranges, juiced
• 1/4 cup thyme tea

To make your thyme tea, take 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves (from your spice cupboard) and place in a tea baller. Pour 1/2 a cup of boiling water over it and let it steep until it cools. (Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup for another juice.) Combine the citrus juices with the thyme tea and give it a good stir. Makes one generous serving.

The Treasure Chest

I love old weathered trunks. I imagine all of the stories they must tell, the treasures they held, complete fragments of lives, in essentially a box. My husband said our trunk reminds him of his grandma. She would hold everything in her trunk including the candies he always asked for when he was little. He said hers was in way better condition though, lol. I like things "rustic." I let the fabric fray away and let the piece age in peace, along with lots of rust, which I think adds character. The minute I saw this trunk out on the curb to be picked up by the garbage truck, I hit the brakes and staked my prize until a more accommodating vehicle could pick it up, instead of my old, small convertible. I brought it home, opened it up and let it air out in the sun, which I advise you do, if you find one, on the curb, garage sale or antique shop. Depending on its' condition and value, a great idea is to drill on swivel casters. With it still being January and lots of organization resolutions still in the air, a trunk on wheels is a great storage option, which can hold a magnitude of stuff in it. After looking at what felt like endless rows of magazines caddies, I knew it was time to put them to rest and that's when I looked at the truck as the magazines' new storage spot. I saved the magazines, being time capsules between two glossy pages but didn't really reference them much after the initial read. But knew one rainy Sunday, I would love to break them out, to enjoy again. A sort of trip down memory lane. And that's when the trunk became a treasure chest of magazines. After your truck is filled with your treasures, whatever they may be, they make a nice piece of furniture, a coffee table, they look great at the end of a bed, a side table to your desk or in the entryway topped with a bouquet of flowers. Happy organizing!

Going Green Juice

Out of all of the juices I've been making, the green juice, could sit for half a day before I finish it off. I know, what kind of juice-detoxer am I? Practically terrible. I favor the fruit juices any day instead of the green but what's a juice detox without the green juice? Not a very good one, with all of the benefits from the kale, spinach and dandelion greens, it's worth going green with your juice. Your body will thank you. Enjoy!

• 1 bunch kale, about 3/4 pound
• 1 bunch spinach, about 1/2 pound
• 1 bunch dandelion, about 1/4 pound
• 1 cubanelle pepper, seeds removed
• 1 handful parsley
• 1 handful cilantro
• 1 cucumber, skin peeled
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• squeeze of lemon*optional

Juice all of the ingredients and add in the lemon if you like. Serves 1.

Cantaloupe - Cardamom Juice

Juice detoxing can be difficult but if you keep your palette excited with new flavors, it doesn't feel like much of a punishment. And if you bring creativity to your juices, like you do your meals, it can be rewarding in taste and with the numbers on the scale. An easy way to bring flavor to your juices are spices. An ordinary cantaloupe juice becomes extra special when cardamom and ginger are added to it. Although ginger is easily added to your juice, by using either fresh or ground, cardamom, on the other hand requires a little more time, to gather its essence. The night before you plan to make this juice recipe, just crush a few cardamom pods, (I used 6) and pour 1/4 cup boiling water boiling water over them and allow to cool and store in your refrigerator. (It keeps for a long long time, if your love cardamom, steep some more pods, so you always have some on hand.) Happy juicing and happy weekend all!

• 1 small cantaloupe, juiced
• 1/4 cup cardamom elixir
• pinch ground ginger, or more

Combine all of the ingredients and stir well, it separates easily. Enjoy! Serves 1.